I just saw a Canadian news magazine type show. On it, they were talking about different web businesses. One of them, out of Vancouver, is That Ring Thing. The basis of it is that you buy a ring from them that has a smilie face on it, to be exact, and then wear it to Chapters book stores at designated times. Apparently, according to the site, this:
Also, according to the website:
This just seems very strange to me. The list they provide on their page makes their reasoning seem misplaced and a little offensive. Isn’t this like the reverse of wedding rings. I thought you used to check for a ring on someone’s finger and if there was one, you simply walked away. Also, this company is now starting to make deals with other stores, including supermarkets, with the same idea in mind. I, for one, would feel more pressured than at ease. Like I would have to act because of the ring.
Hmmm! A fascinating idea, really. The way I see it is it’s sort of to be used as an icebreaker. “Oh, I see you have your ring thing on as well!” It’s a quick and easy way to see who’s at the book store because they’re trying to score, rather than just buying a book.
I predict they well catch on like wildfire, the market will be completely oversaturated, and the craze will die down and be forgotten. All in the window of about 6 months. And Randy Newman will write a song about it.
I think it is cute. I can see it relate to a lot of things. I know when I go to a music convention I wear my tuba necklace. It strikes up conversation with other tuba players immediatly.
Although… didn’t the nazis wear lil’ swatika pins to identify one another??? Not that I’m implying anything…
Whoah, I’m definitely not saying it’s that bad. Though ChiefScott and some of the others might disagree with me on that one. I’m just saying that it seems like a company generalizing a group of people and thinking they can make money off of it. It might work, though. You never know.
The only problem I see with it is having to wear a damn smiley. You might feel a bit awkward at first, but I bet after wearing the ring for a while, you’d forget you even had it on and would be pleased and surprised when attractive strangers accosted you in the grocery store.
Vogue, I think you have it about right - but what frightens me, should this catch on, is that someone will want to make a “reality” TV show about it.
I think the real question here is, should we devise a symbol we can wear IRL to identify ourselves to fellow Dopers? Maybe we can get Slug to design something.
Heh. You think that’s bad? A while ago in Japan they were selling little tomotogochi-like thingies that you could set to your desired level of social interaction. When in proximity to another of thier own kind, set to the same level, they would emit a small beeping sound, allowing the parties to (presumably) size each other up, safe in the knowlage that their opposite was both a) avalible, and b) activly seeking a partner, or at least a date.
Or, more likly, frantically hit the little beeper to shut it down before the spectacular loser in front of you realized that it was yours, and wonder what the hell you were thinking when you bought the thing.
Though an easy way of finding out if a potental interest is open to suggestions, as it were, is not without its appeal.
Someone in the US apparently either borrowed the idea, or just imported a bunch of them, and was trying to sell them as “gaydars.”
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“Great. A sparrow from the year 5000 ran into thier window.”
What ever happened to going up to somebody and talking to them? This is going to sound like a small rant (and it is) but we developed this great thing called language, and now we’re developing all of these gizmos and fads so we don’t have to talk.
Of course there’s still body language, and the international language of love. To bad I’m not fluent in them. Okay, give me a frickin smilie ring.
Hmmm, I can feel myself changing. All of the sudden, I can talk to women! Oh, the power, the power of it all. Of course, I’ll only use my powers for good, unless…
At least we’d know which finger to cut off these freaks as punishment.
Oh, Dopers are easy to spot in real life.
They sport the 1,000-yard, barely able to keep their eyes open stare from being awake all night;
Squint from monitor overexposure;
are impatient and measure time via speed to download threads;
the guys sport near constant wood, the women are prone to unexpected psychic orgasms;
invoke the name “Satan” quite often;
use common words like “user,” “poster,” “thread” and “flame” in new and exciting ways;
are unabashed flirters;
and are usually found in back tables of bars awaiting others of their ilk.
Dopers flock.
On the one hand, I always assume a normal looking guy has a chick. This might help that. On the other hand, anyone who pays $25 for a pinky ring because he’s too chicken to approach chicks is not that normal.
So, this ring thing, it won’t get in the way of me sliding on up to some babe in the subway and whispering sweet comments in her ear will it? I’d hate for something silly to get in the way of my love for flirting.
to be exact, and then wear it to Chapters book stores at designated times. Apparently, according to the site, this: